Asialink Leaders Program fellowships - past recipients

The Asialink Leaders Fellowship Program ensures that outstanding individuals from all backgrounds and sectors can participate. It has a proud history, with the Dunlop Fellowship providing two not-for-profit Leaders a place since the Program’s inception. Since 2020, the fellowships have grown exponentially, and span not-for-profit, Arts and Creative Industries, First Nations and Virtual opportunities. The fellowships offer recipients the opportunity to develop their Asia capabilities, expand their influence, and create meaningful impact in their respective spheres. Asialink is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, ensuring all perspectives are represented and leveraged for Australia’s collective future with Asia.

2025 Fellowship Recipients

Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Fellowship

Matthew Scott
Economic Development Manager - Many Rivers

With more than 25 years in the tourism industry across four continents, Matthew Scott has worked with leading global travel brands, small businesses, and top destinations in Australia and abroad. An expert in sustainable development, he lectures in sustainable tourism, holds an MBA in the field, and has helped implement circular practices across numerous destinations and companies. He is currently an Economic Development Manager, supporting First Nations communities in South Australia to advance their economic goals and develop positive-impact tourism.

Matt’s workplace project focused on First Nations Tourism knowledge-sharing between communities in Australia and Asia.  

Linh Do
Director, Wattle Fellowship - University of Melbourne

Linh Do has spent 15 years working on climate justice and social inequality across advocacy, media, and social enterprise in Australia and internationally. She is Director of the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne and holds several governance roles, including board chair of Climate Action Network Australia and AktivAsia, and director of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Her past roles span global climate leadership programs and youth advisory work with the UN Environment Programme, as well as serving as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Verb during the Paris Climate Agreement negotiations. A frequent public speaker, her work has appeared in outlets including Al Jazeera, Vogue, the Huffington Post and the Washington Post.  

Linh’s workplace project focused on localising governance across Asia for AktivAsia, an advocacy and campaign strategy training organisation for social movements in the region. 

Susan Gin Fellowship for Leaders in Regional/Rural Australia

Danielle Neil
Chief Executive Officer - Ballarat Wildlife Park

With over 15 years’ experience in tourism, cultural institutions and regional development, Danielle brings a strong commitment to sustainable tourism, strategic partnerships and intercultural capability. Before joining Ballarat Wildlife Park, she held a senior leadership role at the Sovereign Hill Museums Association, driving business development and Asian market engagement. She also serves as Chair of ATEC’s Victorian Leadership Committee, advocating for industry–government alignment and regional Australia’s role in international tourism. With expertise in international sales, stakeholder engagement and destination marketing, and qualifications in business, project management and social sciences, Danni takes a strategic, impact-driven approach. Her participation in the 2025 Asialink Leaders Program reflects her aspiration to deepen Australia’s engagement with Asia through tourism, education, cultural capability and regional innovation.

Danielle’s workplace project is called “Culture Compass- Cultivating Asia-Ready Ambassadors in Tourism”, aimed at building Asia-capability in regional tourism operators.

Creative Connections with Asia Fellowship by Ms Martine Letts

Sarah Parsons
Creative Producer/CEO - Outback Theatre for Young People

Sarah Parsons is the Creative Producer/CEO of Outback Theatre for Young People based on Wamba Wamba Perrepa Perrepa country in Deniliquin, NSW, where leads community-centred creative projects across the Southern Riverina and remote NSW since 2015. Proudly regional and deeply committed to expanding cultural opportunities for young people, she advocates for sustainable arts engagement in rural Australia. Her earlier career includes roles with Charles Sturt University, Bathurst Theatre Company, Jigsaw Theatre Company and Australian Theatre for Young People, where she directed multiple productions. She has also contributed significantly to sector leadership through board roles with Regional Arts NSW, Create NSW and ASSITEJ, and has been an Asialink Arts Regional/Regional alliance member since 2022.

Sarah’s workplace project “Creative Connections with Asia: Out of Town and On the Ground” aims to build stronger and deeper ecosystems of Asia capability across the community arts sector.

Asialink Arts Fellowship

Masoom Parmar
Founder, Director - Alif Arts Consultancy

Masoom Parmar, a Regional//Regional Asialink Arts alumnus and Global ISPA Fellow (2022 & 2024), is a Bangalore-based dancer, curator and arts manager from the hereditary Langha community of musicians. Trained in Indic temple and court dance traditions, he has created several solo and ensemble works exploring identity, belonging and the contemporary possibilities of classical forms. As founder of Alif Arts Consultancy, he has spent over a decade producing arts events and festivals, and teaches arts management with a focus on the Indian performing arts ecosystem. His curatorial practice highlights the cultural diversity of the subcontinent, including two self-produced festivals—Koi Suntā Hai and The Platform. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy.

Asialink First Nations Fellowship

Bianca Stawiarski
Managing Director - Warida Wholistic Wellness

Bianca Stawiarski, a Badimia (Aboriginal) and Ukrainian woman, is a purpose-driven healer, mental health and Indigenous Healing practitioner. Founder of Warida Wholistic Wellness and national charity BilaEmpower, she's dedicated to healing through a First Nations lens, improving mental health and economic empowerment through entrepreneurship.  An internationally recognised entrepreneur and published author, she holds a master’s in counselling and convenes the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia’s College of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Practices. Bianca is undertaking a PhD with the Batchelor Institute on community-led research models that support Aboriginal women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship. She lives on Kaurna Country and hopes to integrate First Nations knowledge into workplace wellbeing across Asian markets.

Bianca’s workplace project is called “Australian First Nations Collaborative Approaches to Restoring Balance in Community” and aims to expand this to new market in Southeast Asia.

Jenni Walke
CEO/Managing Director - Elephant in the Room Consulting

Jenni Walke is a business consultant and Indigenous affairs specialist who leads Elephant in the Room Consulting, along with First Nations Strategies and BImpact Collective. She supports organisations to build culturally inclusive workplaces and impact-driven businesses. With three decades of experience across leadership development, business strategy and facilitation, Jenni brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. A proud Bundjalung woman, she has worked across the military, Commonwealth agencies and the private sector. Jenni is a multi-award-winning leader—including Indigenous Exporter of the Year 2024 and the Queensland Premier’s Export Award 2025—who embodies the Indigenous business motto, “Wisdom from Country, Strategy for Business.”

Jenni’s workplace project was focused on Asia–Pacific Supplier Partnerships for a First Nations Textile Brand, charting an ethical expansion into the region.

William Buckland First Nations Fellowship

Michael Morrissey
Owner/Director - Melbourne Jerky Pty Ltd

Michael Morrisey brings over 20 years of experience in business and entrepreneurship, having developed skills in business strategy and export development. He is looking to expand his brand into Asian markets and foster relationships that will help grow his business Melbourne Jerky into Asian markets. With ventures already underway, Michael is committed to learning about the diverse cultures of the region and the potential for export, and to building understanding of local business practices. 

Michael’s workplace project will map the export journey for his organisation, and the lessons learned to date.

Virtual Hub Fellowship 

Ira Puspita
Director - Kayu&Co.

Ira is the founder of Kayu & Co., a social enterprise that empowers Indonesian artisans to create premium homeware products for the international market. Since launching the business in September 2021, Kayu & Co. has handcrafted 10,000 wooden honey spoons for one of Australia’s leading honey brands, supplying products to 40 retailers across Australia and the United States. Passionate about leveraging globalisation for social good, promoting women’s empowerment, and giving back to the community, she continuously strives to make a positive impact. In leisure, Ira enjoys exploring national parks and traveling.

Ira’s workplace project focuses on expansion to Japan, a new market with rich potential, which requires deep insights into cultural values and preferences.

Jun Parker
Director - Australian International Rural Medical Education

Dr Jun Parker is a rural generalist anaesthetist in South West Victoria with a deep passion for the Australia–Japan relationship, having spent half of his life in each country. He holds a directorial role within a health service, pursues academic research on 18th-century anaesthesia practices in Japan and Europe, and serves as an advisor at a medical history museum in Melbourne. Outside medicine, Jun is a singer-songwriter specialising in the retro Japanese genre City Pop. His music featured on Triple J and Double J and performed at festivals in Japan.  

Jun’s workplace project was called “Nostalgic Pop Music and Visual Aesthetics from Japan that transcends time and borders: Asia-Australia Music and Art Collaboration & Showcase”.